Coating machine



Jan. 23, i945. J. ETTL 2,367,856

COATING MACHINE INVENTOR Jan. 23, B945. J. ETTL COATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jian. 23, i945. J. ETTL 2,367,856

COATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 jan., 23, E945. J. ETTL 2,367,856

COATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 23, 1945 COATING MACHINE Joseph Ettl, Highlands, N. J., assixnor to Potdevin Machine Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 14, 1942, Serial No.` 430,857

1s claims. (c1. 91-50) This invention relates to an improvement in coating machines and is particularly directed to an vimproved method of and apparatus for the coating of printed or unprinted sheets with high gloss lacquer or other desired decorative or protective material.

Various processes and apparatus for the production of such sheets have (been suggested heretofore but are strictly limited as to results =by the quality of the paper used. It is one of the objects of my invention to provide for the production of such sheets Without regard to the quality of paper employed.

Commercially it is standard practice when printing labels, displays, |loool: covers, Jackets, etc.. which are to receive a coating such as lacquer after the printing operation, to use a high quality calendered or clay coated stock. My invention permits of the use of untreated and much cheaper paper thereby resulting in a saving in the cost of materials, my invention in addition providing a much superior finished product.

In the accompanying drawings wherein an embodiment of my invention has Ibeen illustrated:

Fig. l is an end elevational view of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2:

Fig. 4 is a view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of rthe apparatus shown in Fig. 4;

Fi-g. 6 is a fragmentary view of the clamping and stripping fingers;

Fig. 7 is a view on the line 1--1 of Fig. 6

Figs. 8 and 9 are views of the clamping mechanism for clamping the paper to the main drum of the machine.

One part of my improved machine comprises a relatively large sheet-drum to which the paper sheets to he coated are automatically attached and from which they are automatically released. This drum and the mechanism for operating the clamping fingers as well as other lingers carried thereby are best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. to which reference will now 'be made.

The drum is designated 2 and is mounted on shaft 6 in side frames 4. For the purposes of this description the drum will be referred to as a sheet-drum. Adjacent the lower part of the sheet-drum is a feed table 8` which at its front end is provided -with a pivoted feed table lip I Il pivoted to the table at I2. The sheets to be coated, and designated I4, are fed to the drum along this table and lip. The feed table lip I0 is I 2 at intervals by a substantially horizontally extending talble lip lever I6, the rear end of which carries an adjusting screw I8 which lbears against the underside of the lip and by which the amount of lift of the lip may fbe varied. The opposite end of the table lip lever I6 carries a sheet stop 20 which. as' will be seen from Fig. l, stands sub stantially vertically, and the function of this stop is to limit the forward movement of the sheet I4 when the same comes up to the sheet drum to be clamped to the drum by the clamping or gripper fingers.

Mounted on a rock shaft 24 extending across the face oi' the sheet drum 2 are a plurality of gripper ngers 22. Coopera/ting with these fingers are lifting fingers 26 mounted on a rock shaft 2B also carried Fby the sheet-drinn, these fingers cooperating with fixed stripper fingers 30 mounted adjacent the upper part of the sheet-drum 2 where the flnishedsheets are to be discharged from the drum upon a delivery belt 32.

The delivery belt 32 is driven 'hy the main drive pulley 34 for the machine, this pulley being mounted on rthe shaft 3'6 carrying the rollers 38 for one end of the delivery belt. This same shaft carries a gear 40 which drives a gear 42 meshing with a gear 44 on the shaft 6 carrying the sheetdrum 2.

At the opposite side of the machine from the delivery mechanism and rotatable with a stub shaft 46 mounted in one of the side frames 4 is a cylindrical cam 48. 'I'his cam is geared to the shaft `5 by gear 50 on stub shaft 46 and gear 52 on the shaft 6.

Mounted in suitable brackets on this same side frame is a pullout lever shaft 54 carrying a cam follower 56 for the cam slot in the cylindrical cam 48. 'I'his pullout lever shaft 54 carries a pullout lever 58 adjacent its lower end and two other pullout levers 60 and 62 adjacent its upper end.

Cooperating with the pullout lever 58 is a sheet gripper pick-up stud 64 which extends through the side frame 4 and is moved inwardly and outwardly with respect to the sheet-drum 2 as the shaft 54 is oscillated due 'to rotation of the cam 48. Cooperating with the pullout lever 6U is a sheet throwo finger stud 66 while cooperating with the pullout lever 62 is a gripper finger release lstud 88, these studs also extending through the side frame 4 as seen from Fig. 2 and bein-g moved inwardly and outwardly as the shaft 54 is oscillated.

The shaft 24 which carries the gripper fingers 22 is provided with a plate 10 which is rigid with adapted to lbe pivoted upwardly-about its pivot the fingers. .This plate is provided with a lug 12 offset with respect to the shaft 28, a rod 14 being connected at one end to this lug, the other end of the rod extending into a bearing 18 carried on the end oi' the sheet-drum. The rod is springactuated by spring 18. The rock shaft 28 which carries the lifting fingers 28 is provided with a bell crank lever 80, one arm of which is pivotaliy yconnected to a rod 82, the other end of this rod being :mounted in a bearing 84 carried on the end of the sheet-drum. The rod is spring-actuated by a spring 88. The other arm of the 1bell crank lever is provided with a striker 88.

Referring again to the table lip lever i8: This lever is mounted on a stub shaft 80 .'below the table lip and connected to the outer end of this shaft is an arm 82. The end of this arm 92 remote from the stub shaft carries a cam follower 84 cooperating with a raising cam 88 which is mounted on and rotates with rthe shaft 8 carrying the sheet drum.

Extending partially about the opposite sides of the sheet-drum 2 are strip heaters, designated 88. which may be electrically operated, for instance.

When a strip |4 to be coated is fed into the machine along the feed table 8 the table lip ||i will be in its lowermost position and the forward end of the table lip lever |8 will be in its uppermost position so that the stop 20 will be in the path of this strip. This, it will be understood, is when the drum 2 has rotated short of the position shown in Fig. 8. On continued clockwise rotation of the drum 2 the raising cam 88 will be rotated into position to depress the forward end of the lever I8 and raise its rear end thereby to lift the feed table lip into the position shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The amount of lift of Athis lip can be varied, as will be appreciated. by simply adjusting the screw I8. The forward end of the strip |4 projects slightly beyond the forward end of the feed table lip |0. On further rotation of the drum 2 the plate 'l0 will strike the sheet pick-up stud 84 which has been projected into its path by the cam 48, to carry the gripper finger 22 toward closed position, as shown by the broken line in Fig. 8. Inasmuch as the point oi' attachment oi the rod '|4 to the plate 10 is offset with respect to the shaft which carries the plate, the spring 18 will be depressed as the plate engages the stud, until the point of attachment of the rod 14 passes dead center position with respect to the shaft 24, whereupon the plate will be snapped around under the action of the spring 'I8 to the position shown in Fig. 9. thereby to clamp the sheet to the drum. I should have said that prior to this action the lifting fingers 28 are in what I will call closed position, that is, closed against the drum 2, as indicated in Fig. 8, so that when the clamping fingers 22 close the strip is gripped between them and the lifting fingers 28.

It will be understood, of course, that at this time the studs 88 vand 88 have been projected inwardly due to the action of the cam 48 upon the pullout lever shaft 54. However, the cam is geared to the drum shaft through the gears 82 and 80 so that the cam makes only one revolution to two of the drum, so that after attachment of the sheet I4 to the sheet-drum 2 has been effected the shaft 84 will be rocked by the cam 48 so that the three studs 84, 88 and 88 are again retracted before the drum has reached a position where the clamping fingers are abreast of the delivery beit sz, so that the'sheet |4 will not be discharged on the first revolution of the sheet-drum.

During the second revolution of the drum 2 the studs' 88 and 88 are again DrOiected inwardly by the cam 48 so that the stud 88 will remain in the path of the plate 18 to snap the gripper fingers 22 open under the action of the spring 18; the stud 88 at this time will strike the end of the bell crank lever 80 to open the lifting fingers 28 against the action of the spring 88. This movement of the lifting fingers will raise the leading end of the strip I4 to permit the stripper fingers 80 to pass beneath the same whereby on continued rotation of the sheet-drum the sheet will advance onto the delivery belt 82 to be discharged from the machine.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the studs 84, 88 and 88 function only on every other revolution of the sheet-drum 2.

With respect to the coating mechanism: This mechanism is shown best in Figs. 1 and 3 and comprises two coating units. One of these units comprises a tank |02 containing the coating solution |04. Strip heaters |08 beneath the tank maintain the coating solution at the proper temperature. One side of the tank is extended to provide a pivot |08 for the tank. Adjustment of the tank and all of the equipment carried thereby about the pivot |08 may be varied by adjustment o'f the screw ||0. ||2 designates the tank roller. This roller is mounted in a coating roller holder ||4 which also carries the coating roller ||8.

I8 designates the wiper roller of the coating unit while |20 designates the wiper blade cooperating with the periphery of the wiper roller. The wiper roller and blade are supported by the same bearing and move horizontally as one unit when the roller ||8 is adjusted against the coating roller I8. However, provision is made, comprising set screws |22, for adjustment between the wiper roller ||8 and the blade |20. It will be noticed that the wiper roller ||8 is positioned to one side of and slightly higher than the tank 'roller ||2 forming an open trough for the coating roller. The rotation of the rollers ||2, 8 and ||8 is such that all three rollers have a wiping action on each other.

As above mentioned, provision is made for ad- Justment of the wiping roller ||8 with respect to the coating roller 8. This takes the form of a lever |24 pivoted at |28 and adjusted by a rod |28. A spring on the rod |28 tends to constantly advance the wiper roller, that is, tends to urge the wiper roller toward the contact roller. The rollers of this coating unit are driven off the shaft 8 through chains |80 and |82 and the necessary gear train comprising gears 84, |88, |88, |40. |42 and |48.

The second coating unit comprises a tank or reservoir |44 which is pivoted at |48 and the amount of pivoting of this tank can be regulated by a screw |48 similar to the screw ||0 of the first coating unit. This tank is provided with heaters |80.

|52 designates the tank roller and |84 the coating roller. The tank roller can be adjusted vertically toward and away from the coating roller |84 by an adjusting screw |88.

The drive for the tank roller |82 and the coating roller |84 is from the gear 44 on the shaft 8 and gears |80, |82, |84, |88, |88 and |10. It is t0 be noted that the direction of rotation of the coating roller |84 of the second unit is the same as that of the coating roller ||8 of the first unit.

I might note that the surface speed of the first coating unit is considerably slower than that of the second coating unit. For example, I have employed commercially relative speeds of 30. to 132 feet per minute.

.Both the iirst and second coating units are provided with tape clamps |12 by which tapes can be stretched over part of the surface of coating rollers |54 and H6 so that the coating material is applied in stripe form to the paper strips |4 when so desired.

Both coating units are supported on rails |14 which are tied together by bars |18 so that they are guided by the undercut sides of the coating unit support frames |18.

Rollers |80 are provided for the rails |14 to facilitate movement of the rails upon the frames |18.

The rails 14 are provided with racks |82 meshing with rack gears |84 so that the two units may be moved away from the sheet-drum 2 for Servicing. A handwheel |88 mounted on the shaft |86 for rack gears |84 is used for this purpose.

|89 designates a bar carrying a foot pedal |90 which is mounted on a shaft I9 This shaft also carries a crank |92 connected to the bar |89.

The bar |89 is notched at |93, and this notch is adapted to engage a pin |94 carried by the discs |95 mounted on the shaft |85.

Secured to the notched edge of the bar |89 is a slidable plate |96 which is adapted to be moved lengthwise below the pin |94 when the bar is in position so that the pin |94 is in the notch |93 as illustrated in Fig. l, for example. This locks the bar against movement to the position shown in Fig. 5. The plate |96 is actuated by lever |91 which carries a lip or offset |98 for this purpose which engages a hole |99 in the plate.

When the machine is to be serviced, that is, when the coating units are to be moved outwardly some distance away from the drum 2, the lever |91 is actuated fro-m the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 5, to move the plate |96 from beneath the pin |94, so that the bar |89 can be raised to disenga'ge the notch |93 with said pin. Handwheel |88 can then be rotated to move the coating units away from the drum 2 to the extent permitted by the rails and racks |14 and |82.

It is to be understood that both coating units do not work simultaneously, but that one coating unit will apply a coating of solution to the strip on one revolution of the drum, the other coating unit applying coating material to the strip on the next revolution. This explains the reason for the pivoting of the coating units at |08 and |46, respectively. Pivotal motion is imparted to the respective tanks |02 and |44 of the coating units, to give this alternate operation of the units, by eccentrics 200 and 202, respectively. As will be seen from Fig. 3, these eccentrics are set 180 apart and the eccentric 200 cooperates with a stub shaft 204 and eccentric 202 with a stub shaft 208. These two shafts, each of which is provided with a roller contacting the eccentric, are vertically movable in the support frames |18. Posts 205 and 201 are vertically movable in the rails |14 and the free ends of the tanks |02 and |44 rest on the top of these posts. As a consequence of all of this, when the eccentrics 200 and 202 are rotated the free ends of the two tanks will be raised alternately. The tanks will return to their lower position by gravity.

The eccentrics 200 and 202 are geared together by sprocket chain 2|0 driven by sprocket chain 2|2 in turn driven from the shaft 8 by chain 2| 4, the eccentrics making one revolution for every two revolutions o! the sheet-drum, so that by setting the eccentrics 180 apart causes the tank |02 to be raised on one revolution o1' the sheet-drum, and the tank |44 raised on the next revolution of the sheet drum, the tank |02 meantime having lowered.

It is believed that the operation of my improved machine will be understood from all of the foregoing. Normally a strip of material, such as the strip |4, is fed to the sheet-drum 2 automatically picked up by and clamped to thel drum, and as it is carried around by the drum is given a coating of solution from the tank |02. This may be considered a pore sealing operation, for example.

The solvent for the base coat is evaporated by the rst heater 98 as the sheet is carried around with the drum, the coating cooled as it hits the open air and drying completed by the second drying unit on continued rotation of the sheetdrum.

On the second revolution of the drum the second coating solution, which may be lacquer or any other decorative or protective material, is applied to the sheet from the tank |44 of the second coating tank and this solution is partially dried by the immediately succeeding heating unit 98. When the sheet reaches a point adjacent the delivery belt 32 its leading end is released, as above explained, and the sheet discharged upon this belt from which it may ygo to a drying oven for complete solvent removal and drying.

When it is desired to service the coating units the handwheel |88 is operated to move the coating units to one side as above explained. When the machine is in operation the hand lever |91 remains in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the pin |94 is locked .in the notch |93 in the bar |89; however, with the parts in this position the coating units may -be moved to one side slightly so as not to apply any coating solution to the paper by simply depressing the foot pedal |90, which through crank |92 will move the bar endwise sufflciently to give a partial rotation tothe gears |84 enough to move the coating units out of operative position.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction and arrange ment of parts hereinabove described within the purview of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A coating machine, comprising in combination a sheet drum, a plurality of coating units adjacent the drum periphery, and mechanism for the coating units for effecting alternate independent bodily movement of the coating units, whereby one unit will apply coating material to a sheet carried by the drum on one revolution of the drum and another unit will apply a second coat to the sheet on the next revolution ofthe drum.

2. A coating machine, comprising in combination a sheet drum, a plurality of coating units adjacent the drum periphery, and means for rocking said units alternately into engagement with a sheet carried by the drum thereby to apply a plurality of coats to the sheet.

3. A coating machine, comprising in combination a sheet drum, a plurality of coating units adjacent its periphery, said units being mounted for independent pivoting into and out of engagement with a sheet carried by the drum, and mechanism for effecting this pivoting in timed relation to the drum rotation so that throughout one turn oi' the drum one unit will contact the sheet while on the next turn the first unit will be retracted and another unit will be pivoted into engagement with the sheet.

4. A coating machine comprising in combination a sheetl drum, a plurality of coating units adjacent the drum periphery, a pivot for each unit, and an eccentric for each unit driven in time with the sheet drum, whereby the units will be pivoted alternately into engagement with a sheet on the drum on each turn of the drum.

5. A coating machine comprising 'in combination a sheet drum, a plurality of coating units pivoted adjacent the drum periphery, mechanism for actuating the coating units successively into engagement with a sheet attached to the drum, said mechanism functioning to pivot only one unit into engagement with the sheet on each turn of the drum, and means for drying a coat before the application of the next.

6. A coating machine comprising in combination a sheet drum, a plurality of coating units adjacent the drum periphery, a pivot for each unit, an eccentric for each unit driven in time with the sheet drum, whereby the units will be pivoted alternately into engagement with a sheet on the drum on each turn of the drum, and means for varying the pivotal movement of each unit.

'7. A coating machine comprising in combination a sheet drum, a plurality of coating units adjacent the drum periphery, a pivot for each unit, and an eccentric for each unit driven from the shaft for the sheet drum in time with the sheet drum, whereby the units will be pivoted alternately into engagement with a sheet on the drum on each turn of the drum.

8. A coating machine comprising in combination a sheet drum, a plurality of coating units adjacent the drum periphery, movable independently into engagement with a sheet carried by the sheet drum, and a rack and pinion mount for the coating units whereby the same may be moved simultaneously away from the drum.

9. A coating machine comprising in combination a sheet drum, a plurality of coating units adjacent the drum periphery and movable independently into engagement with a sheet carried by the sheet drum, a mount for the units including racks and gears for driving the racks, and a pedal and crank for imparting partial rotation to said gears to move the units simultaneously and bodily away from the sheet drum.

l0. A coating machine comprising in combination a sheet drum, a plurality of coating units adjacent its periphery and pivoted alternately into engagement with a sheet on the face of said drum, a mount for the units including racks and gears for driving the racks, a handwheel for rotating the gears so as to impart bodily movement simultaneously to the coating units, and a locking lever for said handwheel.

1l. A coating machine comprising in combination a sheet drum, a pair of coating units adjacent the drum periphery, an eccentric for each unit for pivoting the coating units toward the sheet drum, said eccentrics being set 180 apart whereby but one unit at a time will be pivoted toward the drum.

l2. A coating machine comprising in combination a sheet drum. a pair of coating umts below and adjacent the drum periphery, a pivotal mount for each unit. and means for pivoting said umts alternately on their mounts to raise one unit into engagement with a sheet carried by the drum on one revolution of the drum and the other unit into engagement with said sheet on the succeeding revolution of the drum, thereby to apply a plurality of coats to the sheet.

13. A coating machine comprising in combination a sheet drum, a plurality of coating units adjacent the drum periphery, a pivot for each unit, a vertically movable post beneath each unit remote from the pivot for each unit, and an eccentric, driven in time with the sheet drum, beneath each post, whereby one unit will be pivoted into engagement with a sheet on the drum on one turn of the drum and another unit will be pivoted into engagement with the sheet on the next revolution of the drum.

14. A coating machine comprising in combination a sheet drum, a plurality of coating units adjacent the drum periphery, each unit comprising a pivoted tank, a vertically movable post beneath each tank offset with respect to the pivot therefor, and an eccentric, driven in time with the sheet drum, beneath each post. to pivot one of said tanks to bring one of said coating units into engagement with a sheet on the drum on one turn of the drum and to pivot another of said tanks to bring another of said coating units into engagement with said sheet on the next revolution of the drum, and means for adjusting said tanks on their respective pivots.

15. A coating machine comprising in combination a sheet drum, a plurality of pivoted coating units adjacent its periphery, means for pivoting said units alternately into engagement with a sheet on the face of said drum, a mount to which the coating units are pivoted, racks carried by said mount, gears for driving the racks, a shaft on which said gears are mounted, a handwheel for rotating the gears so as to impart a motion of translation simultaneously to the coating units, a locking pin carried in discs mounted on the shaft carrying said gears, and a bar attached to the frame of the machine and adapted to engage said pin to lock the handwheel against rotation.

16. A coating machine comprising in combination a sheet drum, a plurality of coating units adjacent the periphery of said drum, a mount to which said units are pivoted, means for pivoting the units independently into engagement with a sheet carried by said drum, racks carried by said mount, gears for driving said racks, a shaft carrying said gears, a pin connected to said shaft and offset with respect to the axis of rotation of said shaft, a second shaft, a crank carried by said second shaft, a bar attached to said crank and normally engaging said pin for preventing rotation of said first-named shaft, a foot pedal for oscillating said second shaft to disengage said bar, through the medium of said crank. from said pin, and a handwheel for rotating said first named shaft upon such disengagement of said bar and pin to move the coating units out of operative position with respect to said drum.

JOSEPH E'I'IL. 

